M A I N   N E W S

Philippine troops botched up Golan op: Indian commander
Tribune News Service

Manila’s charge General Gregorio Pio Catapang, Chief of the Philippines Army, had, on September 1 questioned the decision of UNDOF commander (Lt Gen Singha) saying he wrongly advised the Filipino troops to give up their arms.

New Delhi, September 3
Within hours of the Philippines seeking an inquiry into an alleged botched-up UN operation at Golan Heights (between Israel-Syria), Lt Gen Iqbal Singh Singha, the Indian commander of the UN force stationed there, has accused the Filipino troops of having compromised the UN position.

“As many as 44 troopers from Fiji who are part of the United Nations Disengagement Observers’ Force (UNDOF) continue to be held hostage with the Jabhat Al-Nusra, a Syrian rebel group, due to the action of Filipino soldiers,” said the Lt Gen in his report to the UN. Now the rebels are doubting that the UNDOF was acting in connivance with Syrian Army and not releasing the Fiji troops.

The Filipinos killed three of the Al-Nusra rebels before escaping to the Israel side of narrow Golan heights, jeopardising the ongoing negotiations to free the captured soldiers. An Indian Army logistics battalions providing administrative support is safe, sources in New Delhi said. The UN force is under chapter VI of the UN charter which mandates no use of firearms unless in self defence General Gregorio Pio Catapang, Chief of the Philippines Army, had, on September 1 questioned the decision of UNDOF commander ( Lt Gen Singha) saying he wrongly advised the Filipino troops to give up their firearms.

“The UNDOF commander was very indecisive. He wants to save the Fijians at the expense of the Filipinos,” Catapang was quoted in media reports from Manila.

He accepted that he advised the Philippine troops to defy the UNDOF commander's order.

In his report to the UN, Lt Gen Singha narrated the incident saying that on August 27, Al-Nusra attacked the border outpost between Syria and Israel and took hostage 44 Fiji troops. The Filipinos were on post number 68 and 67 at the Golan heights and were surrounded by rebels. In the meantime, the UNDOF evacuated Filipinos from post number 65 and 80.

Israel was requested for real time surveillance while Syria provided fire support. Negotiations were opened with rebels through interlocutors. Lt Gen Singha moved across to Israel where he was informed about the build-up of 200 rebels on the Syrian side. Even as negotiations were on, the Filipino contingent fired at the rebels killing three of them. A ceasefire was ensured on August 31 around 9 am.

Lt Singha had earlier served at the UN between 2003 and 2005 posted in Africa and has sorted out 15 such hostage crisis earlier.